Heat forward Justise Winslow looking forward to start of season after summer of basketball, travel and art

It started a few months earlier than expected, as Winslow was limited to just 18 games in his second NBA season due to a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required season-ending surgery. It’s been eight months since Winslow last played in an NBA game on Dec. 30.

But Winslow expects to be fully recovered and ready to go for the Sept. 26 start of Heat training camp. He’s already started to participate in full-contact work now that his six-month rehabilitation schedule is complete.

“My shoulder is feeling great. I’m 100 percent now,” said Winslow, who is promoting the September youth clinic he will host on behalf of his family’s foundation. “Doing different contact stuff, playing with guys in 3-on-3 [games]. Playing against the other coaches and the trainers and things like that. I feel good. I’m in pretty good shape. I’m feeling lighter and eating better, so I’m excited for this upcoming season.”

Justise Winslow #20 of the Miami Heat drives around Wesley Johnson #33 of the LA Clippers during a game at American Airlines Arena on December 16, 2016 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Many are excited to see how Winslow, one of the top candidates for the Heat’s starting small forward job, bounces back from his injury-shortened season. The 21-year-old is already known as a quality defender but struggled to be an efficient offensive player in that small sample size last season, averaging 10.9 points on 35.6 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent shooting from 3-point range.

But through all of the injuries, which included a sprained left (shooting) wrist that forced him to miss 16 games early in the season, Winslow did show the potential to become an effective weapon as a point forward who can help initiate offense and provide matchup problems. Before going down for the season, Winslow flashed his potential in a home win over the Lakers on Dec. 22 with a career-high 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds and four steals.

“Yes and no,” Winslow said when asked if that December performance is an example of the player he can be when healthy. “I think I’m 10 times better than I was in that game. And also I was struggling with different [injury] issues in that game, as well. I’m just excited. I know what my ceiling is and what I’m capable of. So I’m just trying to bounce back and come back with full strength.”

Winslow’s extended offseason has included more than just basketball, though. He also traveled to Singapore in August to help teach fundamental basketball skills to the youth as part of the Junior NBA national training camp.

“That was amazing,” Winslow said. “Just to be able to travel the world because of basketball is something that I really appreciate. Also, seeing the game over there and the way the game has traveled, and it’s really a global game, is amazing. I’m just truly blessed. It was a great experience. I love working with kids. That’s something that’s always been important to me. It’s something that I can’t fake. Something that’s real about me is giving back, especially to kids. It was just amazing. It’s a different culture over there. It’s a super clean city. It was just nice to kind of get away from America and just see a different country and a different culture.”

The summer has even included some film work — film work that doesn’t involve basketball. Known as a thinker and a fan of art, Winslow has long appreciated the work of artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy and is now learning to appreciate film.

“I’m watching a lot of documentaries on Netflix and stuff, so I’m still into kind of the visual art and that sort of thing,” Winslow said. “But even more so getting into film. … I’ve been trying to get a little bit more into film and editing and that sort of thing. That’s been one of my more recent hobbies. … I’ve filmed just little short stuff. Like one minute, two minute stuff. Little videos on one of my friend’s cameras. We just put a minute clip or two minute little film together. Just anything that keeps me off my feet, but keeps me engaged and learning.”

So it should come as no surprise that Winslow’s favorite place to be in Miami is the Wynwood Art District.

“It’s kind of like the hipster area of Miami. That’s probably where I spend most of my free time when I’m not at home,” Winslow said of Wynwood while also naming Fooq’s — a restaurant not far from AmericanAirlines Arena — as his favorite place to eat in Miami. “I love Miami. I’m from Houston and went to school in Durham, N.C.. So me and hot weather, we get along. We have a good relationship. Miami is a good place to continue that. You can just be outside 365 days and I like that. It’s just a great culture down here. Everyone is so nice. I love Spanish culture, so I’m trying to talk Spanish and eat Spanish food. I’m loving it out here.”

Now, Winslow is looking to give back to the South Florida community. He will be hosting a free one-day basketball clinic in Miami on Sept. 9 for 50 fifth- and sixth-grade students through Robin’s House Family Foundation, the foundation run by his family.

There is no cost to participate in the clinic, but the application — available at robinshouse.org — requires applicants to write an essay under these guidelines, “If it were up to you to choose one community service and/or volunteer project for the twenty-first century to place in a time capsule for future generations, what would you choose? In a 250 word (or more) essay use specific reasons and examples to support your choice, explaining both the community service significance and the reasons why it is so important.”

Winslow’s mother, Robin Davis, thought of that wrinkle to get the children to think outside the box. Something that Winslow and his siblings are used to.

“Definitely my mom’s idea,” said Winslow, who has donated $50,000 to help his hometown of Houston in the Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and is accepting outside donations through his family’s foundation. “She’s always just looking for any type of inspiration or looking for new ideas. At dinner, she’s always asking us these questions and making us put our phones down. Sometimes deep questions, but just weird questions to see how we think. That was her idea to do the whole essay thing. It’s interesting the way they come out. Kids are so different and their hearts are so pure and genuine. So it’s cool to get those essays and read them.”

When Winslow’s offseason finally comes to an end and he returns to the Heat locker room for training camp, he won’t be the youngest player on the roster for the first time in his NBA career. Rookie Bam Adebayo now holds that title at 20.

But Winslow, 21, is quick to point out he’s still the second youngest player on the team as he enters his third NBA season.

“It’s nice not to be the youngest guy anymore,” Winslow said with a laugh. “But I’m still probably the second youngest. It’s something that I’m used to.”